Institutional History

The New Jersey State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) was created in 1976 at the request of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) and in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 41, Ch. 105-65.203-1,2. NHPRC guidelines state that:

The State Advisory Board is the central advisory body for historical records planning and for projects developed and carried out within the State. Specifically, the Board may perform such duties as sponsoring and publishing surveys of the conditions and needs of historical records in the State; soliciting or developing proposals for projects to be carried out in the State with Commission financing; reviewing records proposals by institutions in the State and making recommendations from these to the Commission; developing, revising, and submitting to the Commission State plans for historical records projects following priorities developed by the Commission; and reviewing, through reports and otherwise, the operation and progress of records projects in the State financed by the Commission.

Appointments to SHRAB are made by the Governor, and the SHRAB Coordinator must be the full-time state-funded professional officer in charge of either the state archival agency or the historical agency. In New Jersey this officer is the Director of the Division of Archives and Records Management in the Department of State. For administrative purposes, SHRAB is located within the Department of State.

Content Note

The Statewide Records Assessment and Reporting Project was undertaken during 1982 and 1983 to survey the status of archives and records management in New Jersey's public and private institutions, to determine what problems and needs exist, and to propose short- and long-term ways of meeting their needs. The project was the first of its kind in New Jersey, overseen by SHRAB and funded by NHPRC as part of a national program. The project received major assistance from the Division of Archives and Records Management in the Department of State.

This series contains the final report of the Records Assessment and Reporting Project, written in 1983 and published in 1984. Also included is a précis of the final report, prepared for distribution to the Governor, selected cabinet officers and SHRAB members.

225 West State Street
P.O. Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307
609.292.6260 (general information)
609.633.8334 (administrative office)
609.292.9105 (fax)